Eye Movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR)

What is EMDR?

The mind can often heal itself naturally, in the same way as the body does. Much of this natural coping mechanism occurs during sleep, particularly during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

Most of the time your body routinely manages new information and experiences without you being aware of it. However, when something out of the ordinary occurs and you are traumatised by an overwhelming event like a car accident or you have been repeatedly subjected to distress such as childhood neglect, your natural coping mechanism can become overloaded. These unprocessed memories and feelings are stored in the limbic system of your brain in a raw, emotional form which can be easily triggered causing anxiety, panic, anger or despair. EMDR helps create the connections between your brain’s memory networks, enabling you to process the traumatic memory in a very natural way so that the past doesn't intrude into the present in such a catastrophic way.

What is an EMDR session like?

EMDR utilises the natural healing ability of your body. Eye movements similar to those during REM sleep will be recreated simply by asking you to watch the therapist's finger moving backwards and forwards across your visual field. The eye movements will last for a short while and then stop. You will be asked to report back on the experiences you have had during each of these sets of eye movements. Experiences during a session may include changes in thoughts, images and feelings.

With repeated sets of eye movements, the traumatic memory tends to lose its frightening immediacy and painful intensity and simply becomes a neutral memory of an event in the past that is over and done with. Other associated memories of events ad traumas may also heal at the same time. This linking of related memories can lead to a dramatic and rapid improvement in many aspects of your life.

What can EMDR be used for?

In addition to its use for the treatment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, EMDR has been successfully used to treat:

anxiety and panic attacks

depression

stress

phobias

sleep problems

complicated grief

addictions

pain relief, phantom limb pain

self-esteem and performance anxiety

Can anyone benefit from EMDR?

EMDR can accelerate therapy by resolving the impact of your past traumas and allowing you to live more fully in the present. It is not, however, appropriate for everyone. The process is rapid and any disturbing experiences, if they occur at all, last for a comparatively short period of time. Nevertheless, you need to be aware of, and willing to experience, the strong feelings and disturbing thoughts which sometimes occur during sessions.

How long does treatment take?

EMDR can be brief focused treatment or part of a longer psychotherapy programme. EMDR sessions can be for 60 to 90 minutes.

Will I remain in control and empowered?

During EMDR treatment, you will remain in control, fully alert and wide-awake. This is not a form of hypnosis and you can stop the process at any time. Throughout the session the therapist will support and facilitate your own self-healing and intervene as little as possible. Reprocessing is usually experienced as something that happens spontaneously as new connections and insights arise quite naturally from within. As a result, most people experience EMDR as being a natural and very empowering therapy.

What evidence is there that EMDR is a successful treatment? ​EMDR is an innovative clinical treatment which has successfully helped over a million individuals. The validity and reliability of EMDR has been established by rigorous research making it the most thoroughly researched method used in the treatment of trauma (Details on www.emdr-europe.org and www.emdr.org). ​It is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) as an effective treatment for PTSD.

​

Adapted from:www.getselfhelp.co.uk

​

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.